India Welcomes New BRICS Members in Landmark Meeting

India welcomed Egypt, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia as new BRICS members at a key meeting hosted by Russia. Diplomat Dammu Ravi led India's delegation in Nizhny Novgorod. The expanded BRICS family marks the first ministerial meeting since the membership expansion in 2023.

In a landmark move, India on Monday extended a warm welcome to Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia as they joined the BRICS grouping. These countries' representatives attended their inaugural key meeting, hosted by Russia.

Senior diplomat Dammu Ravi led the Indian delegation at the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Nizhny Novgorod, Western Russia. 'A significant meeting in the format of an expanded BRICS family. India wholeheartedly welcomes the new membership,' Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, posted on social media platform X.

This meeting marks the first of its kind since BRICS expanded in 2023, incorporating five new countries alongside the founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Ravi, Secretary (Economic Relations) in India's Ministry of External Affairs, replaced External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who was reappointed only recently and could not attend.

Russia has taken over the year-long chairmanship of BRICS from January 1, 2024. According to Russia's official TASS news agency, the country has planned over 250 events, with the BRICS summit in Kazan in October 2024 being the centerpiece.